Grilled Vegetable Couscous Salad
The grilled vegetables make this couscous special! Serve it as a side for Rachael's Chicken Shawarma or on its own with assorted salamis and goat cheeses alongside.
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant
- 2 small zucchini
- Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- Juice of 1 lemon plus zest of 1/2 lemon, divided
- 1 1/2 cups couscous
- 20 mint leaves, chopped or torn
- 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped
- 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
- Assorted sliced salamis (optional)
- Assorted fresh and aged goat cheese (optional)
Preparation
Pre-heat an indoor or outdoor grill to high.
Trim the ends off the eggplant and zucchini. Slice the veggies lengthwise into slices about a half-inch thick. Drizzle them with a little EVOO on both sides and season with some salt and pepper. Transfer to the grill and grill on each side for about 3-4 minutes, until they are tender and cooked through.
Remove the veggies from the grill to your cutting board and chop them into bite-size pieces.
Place a small skillet over medium heat and add the pine nuts. Toast until golden, just a couple of minutes (keep an eye on them – they go from raw to toasted to burnt quickly!).
Once you have the veggies grilling, make the couscous: place the chicken stock in a saucepot over high heat, then add the garlic and zest of half a lemon and bring up to a bubble. Add the couscous, cover and turn the heat off. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
Fluff the couscous with a fork and transfer to a serving bowl. Add the chopped veggies, mint, parsley and toasted pinenuts. Season with some lemon juice and give it a little drizzle of EVOO. Top with the Parmigiano Reggiano and toss to combine.
Serve with some sliced assorted salamis and goat cheese alongside or as a side dish for Chicken Shawarma.
This is one of many "Yum-o!" recipes – it's good and good for you. To find out more about Yum-o!, Rachael's nonprofit organization, visit
www.yum-o.org.
